Big News, Bite-Sized

On Taiwan’s Relations with China

On the surface

Taiwan’s recent elections saw its Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) win. The DPP is trying to end Taiwanese relations with China and turn Taiwan into an independent state. While the news media has advertised that the DPP is indeed going to sever ties with China, this is unlikely to happen.

Economic Fortitude

Taiwan’s economy is based off of exporting as a 2nd manufacturer. More simply, this means that Taiwan cheaply imports products from China and then exports those goods as its own. If Taiwan were to end its relationship with China, the Taiwanese economy would implode.

The Bodyguard

Obviously, a country’s paramount concern is its safety. This goal would be exceedingly difficult for Taiwan without Chinese assistance.

Taiwan gets most of its military protection from China. If Taiwan decided to cut its ties with China, that protection would end.